BMW, Audi, Lexus and Others Are Producing So Many Variations That Dealers Can't Stock Them All

Want a BMW? Go to one of the German car maker's showrooms and you might not find what you want because there are so many models that few dealers carry them all.

BMW AG this week unveiled the 2 Series, filling the only gap between its 1 and 7 Series, excluding SUV and coupe derivatives. Fifteen years ago, the Bavarian auto maker essentially offered just five different vehicles—the 3, 5 and 7 Series sedans, the X5 SUV and Z4...